Previous studies had noted that honeybees that were fed caffeine formed longer-lasting memories - they were able to remember the flying routes and where the best nectar was found.

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"It’s like a person drinking coffee while revising for an exam. We generally know how coffee helps us concentrate and stay focussed, as well as helping us remember complex information better, and what our limit is. We’ve shown that caffeine increases the bees’ enthusiasm and activity generally and it makes the memory formation stronger,” she adds. “Fascinatingly, it shows that there are commonalities in the neurobiology between us and bees. Bees have got a brain the size of a grass seed and a very short life span compared to us, but can still accomplish complex tasks.”


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